Luminous electrical discharge device



Oct. 29. 1940. R. E. voLLRATH LUIINOUS ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE DEVICE -origmal rue-d .my 2'2. 1930 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY nmoazalsdo umanvmsmxmnacnu.

1351.532, nu ru n, 40am, July n. 1m.

relslaelane lClainI.

'nais invention relates to improvements in electrical discharge devices and more particularly to luminous gas-nlled electrical discharge devices 'and has for lts main object to provide a deviceotthischaracterinwhichthedischarge the appearance of moving luminous a gas is employed in luminous signs nowin 'extensiveuse,tliegaspressureinthetubeisusually 1| adjusted to give a lmiiorm steady glow The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Hg. 1 showsaluminoustubulardischargedevice in side elevation, in which my invention is embodied.

ng. 2 illustrate. me same in vertical longitudinalsection. A a l"ig.` 3 showsa cross-sectional detail through thesame,thesectionbeingtakenonthelinel-3 -ofll'ig.2.

Fig. 4 illustrates the inventlonzin a slightly thesameasviewedonthelinel-lofllig.4.

Pig. illustrates another embodiment of the invention. y

rig. 'Ishows a cross-sectional detail through thesameasviewedontheline11ofl"ig.6,and Fig. 8 illustrates another shape o! tube in which myinventionisembodied. Rei'errln'gparticularlyto!igs."l,2and3the numeral il ,designates a transparent container.`

u. me, seria No. um

(cl. 11s-14) These granules or particles with which the 'tubeisiilledmybecomposedoi'quartaglassmr any insulating material which is not destroyed under the induence of the electrical discharge, andtheymaybeotanygeometricalshapewith Il eithersmoothorirregularsm'faees. Iiglassor some other insulating ceramic material'is ernployed,itmayhavetheformofbeadsoroffra8 mentsobtainedbycrushinglargerpiecesotthe material. lli

Colored granules may be employed ii desired toproducediilerenteilects. One of the most advantageom materials, from acostpointofview,ispurequartssand,known as Ottawasand, whichmay be obtained in au variety ot sises with almost spherical grains. The rounded form of these grainsis oi' some advantagebecauseitallowsthesandtoreadilyiiow lntobenttubesdunngtheprocessotmanuiactureandthisparialcularquarti!sandhaslovwab-gu sorptivepowertorgases. Thisisimportantin casethegastobeemployedisoneoitherare lgases o! atmosphere.suchasneon, whoseluminous properties are extremely sensitive to any gaseous immrities which might escape from in- :s v"adequately-outgasnd granules during lthe operationoi'thetube. j

'Ihetube containing the granulesisevacuated. then nlled vwith a gas at reduced pressure and nnal1ysealed,theteatl'|indicatingthepoint30 at which theseoperationstakeplace.

Alloi'theoperationsarewellknowntothose familiar withthe manniactureotdischarge tubes andthereioretormnopartotthepresentinvention. .,Thekindoigasemployedrnasalsobevuried,as asitisknownthatneongaswlllproduceadiil'erent colored eect from thatswhloh helium gas willproducesothatvariouscoloredeiiectsmaybe producedaccordingtnthenatureofthegas employed.

Bytheuseofgranulesasaililer,thei'reegas spaces existing between the granules constitute a largelnumber on! tortuous channels or paths through which the discharge might pass. In practice. however, the discharge apparently tollows only afewot thenumerom available channelssothatinsteadofallthechannelsands'paces betweenthegranulbeinglled'withauniformsteadyglomannallernumberoftortuous andbrilliantlyumlnousveinsorillamentsappear.

The' discharge passes' most readily along the inner surface o! thetransparent discharge-tube andfollowsanextremelycrookedorxig-xagpath ll thisform the pathalongtheeentrnltube'islong, 'duetothemmdtheretorethedischnrge'willfollovtheshorterpathalongtheinnerwallofthecontainec. Thedistancebetween 55 theinnerandoutertubeofm4md5maybe forming numerous channels Ici'` oi' between they and producing` the eltect'otfxnovingluminomveins lnthecon- 3 5. An electric device comprising a trmspurentoutertubewithagasthereimanmnertubespacedfromtheouteftubesaidinner tube having ents at spaced intervals. 40 spocedelech'odesinthespacebetweenthe outer mdinnertubesandagranularllerlnsaidspace betweensidelectrcdes. j

6. A luminous electric dichnrge'device comprisingncledglass tube eontliningarare gas 45 nmlhavingunelectrodeuteuchcnd.and:Miller in the tube betweensald electrodes composed of granules of insulating mnterial of substantially bead-like form to provide spaces around the granules for the movement ot the zas'und af- 50 fording tortuous electrical discharge es throughthtpartotthetubecontainingthe RICHARD E'VOLLRATH. 55 

